12:22 p.m. | Updated Colin L. Powell, the former Republican secretary of state and retired four-star general, said on Thursday that he had decided to endorse President Obama’s bid for re-election and was concerned that Mitt Romney was “a moving target” on foreign policy.

In an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Mr. Powell said that he was “more comfortable” with the president’s views on immigration, education and foreign policy.

“I do not want to see the new Obamacare plan thrown off the table,” Mr. Powell said. “It has issues — you have to fix some things in that plan — but what I see is that 30 million fellow citizens will now be covered.”

It is an open question whether his endorsement will carry as much weight as it seemed to four years ago when he threw his support behind Mr. Obama in the final weeks of his campaign with Senator John McCain. But the president’s advisers had been waiting with anticipation of an endorsement, which Mr. Powell did not reveal until his television interview Thursday morning.

In the interview, Mr. Powell said that the nation’s unemployment rate was still too high, but he added: “I think generally we’ve come out of the dive and we’re starting to gain altitude.” He praised the president for his handling of national security.

“I also saw the president get us out of one war, start to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars,” Mr. Powell said. “I think the actions he’s taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid. And so I think we ought to keep on the track that we are on.”

On Afghanistan and other foreign policy concerns, Mr. Powell said that he did not believe Mr. Romney “has thought through these issues as thoroughly as he should have.” He added, “There are some very, very strong neo-conservative views that are presented by the governor that I have some trouble with.”

He said that he still considered himself a Republican, but in “of a more moderate mold.” He added, “That’s something of a dying breed, I’m sorry to say.”

Mr. Powell, a retired Army general who was a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, criticized the Republican Party as failing to recognize a need for compromise. He also had sharp words for Congress, which he said had fallen down on the job in dealing with the nation’s fiscal burdens.

Four years ago, Mr. Powell announced his endorsement of Mr. Obama in an appearance on “Meet the Press” on NBC. He did not say during his interview Thursday on “CBS This Morning” whether he would campaign on Mr. Obama’s behalf.

“I voted for him in 2008,” Mr. Powell said, “and I plan to stick with him in 2012.”

Update: Mr. Obama had no advance warning of Mr. Powell’s endorsement and learned about it while waiting to address a rally in Tampa, Fla. Before taking stage, Mr. Obama called Mr. Powell to thank him. “We think it sends a strong signal about why he should be sent back for another four years to be commander in chief,” said Jen Psaki, a campaign spokeswoman.

Senator John McCain said Thursday that Mr. Powell had “harmed” his legacy by endorsing Mr. Obama a second time. Appearing on Brian Kilmeade’s radio program, Mr. McCain said “General Powell, you disappoint us and you have harmed your legacy even further by defending what is clearly the most feckless foreign policy in my lifetime.”

Whenever Mitt Romney speaks, the crowd is very diverse. There are white people in their 50s, 60s AND 70s. http://fb.me/Bx8SNgfo

Piss off red you can think what you wish of me. I see you for who you are. You are a vote down the line lib. I am just asking a question that should be asked. Why else would he support this embarrassment? I have made it clear how little I think of Romney. You can talk all the shit you wish but the cold hard truth is many are voting for this shitbag for no other reason than he is black.

Your reply will be there are many who will vote for Mitt because he is white. The problem is Obama was elected by white people by and large. Do the ****ing math. Now we have two men up for election, one has clearly failed. So yes rather it fits into your take it in the ass left wing no matter what mind set the question is a valid one~

__________________The Trump campaign and Black Lives Matter movement are perfect for each other. Both sides filled with easily led and angry nitwits convinced they are victims~

Piss off red you can think what you wish of me. I see you for who you are. You are a vote down the line lib. I am just asking a question that should be asked. Why else would he support this embarrassment? I have made it clear how little I think of Romney. You can talk all the shit you wish but the cold hard truth is many are voting for this shitbag for no other reason than he is black.

Your reply will be there are many who will vote for Mitt because he is white. The problem is Obama was elected by white people by and large. Do the ****ing math. Now we have two men up for election, one has clearly failed. So yes rather it fits into your take it in the ass left wing no matter what mind set the question is a valid one~

Did I even respond to you? As far as I know your not even on my radar so I hate to deflate your anger.

I agree with your main point though. Some will vote black and some will vote white regardless of their position on the issues. And that will not change in my or your lifetime.

__________________
Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

I didn't say Powell was a dumb ass, I was indirectly calling YOU a dumb ass, DUMB ASS ! You apparently buy into OMarxist's phony 'slick Willy' economic pamphlet that absolutely is platitude SH** !!!

You buy into gas that has doubled, food that is up 35-50%, home equity that has dropped 40% and 23 million still unemployed and underemployed and our national debt going from 5 tril to 16tril since OMarxist anointing. With that said Powell still must buy into hope and change as well

By supporting OMarxist, you basically are following Einstein's definition of insanity, "doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result".

__________________"All real Americans love the sting of battle and may God have mercy on my enemies because I wont".

'Progressivism' is nothing more than a dressed up co-opted term for 'Marxism'.